In certain sports games, and in certain other activities, it is known that a first person may be required to firmly grip a limb of a second person. Thus, for example, in the game of Rugby Union there exists a phase of play known as a lineout. In the lineout phase of the game each team generally has three jumping players that each have access to two supporting players. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, for the game of Rugby Union, a jumping player 101 supported by a rear supporting player 102 and a front supporting player 103, the purpose of the arrangement of people being to aid player 101 to catch Rugby Union ball 104. The assistance of the supporting players 102, 103 usually takes the form of lifting a given jumping player 101 to reach a greater height or to otherwise hold the jumping player in a raised position. As a general rule one supporting player lifts the jumping player from the rear and another supporting player lifts the jumping player from the front. A synchronization of efforts of the rear and front supporting players enables the body of the jumping player to maintain a balanced position. A rear supporting player may not seize a jumping player lower than the length of the jumping players shorts. The front supporting player may seize the jumping player no lower than the thigh of the jumping player. The regulations imposed on the rear and front supporting players are, for the game of Rugby Union, as outlined by the International Rugby Board (I.R.B.). In particular the I.R.B. has imposed Law 19.9 (k) regarding lineout and this basically states that, as regards support of a player, a player must not support a jumping team-mate below the shorts from behind or below the thighs from the front. With the legs of a player there is generally a lack of grip when attempting to lift a given player in a lineout. The rear supporting player has the jumping player's shorts to grip for the practice of lifting from behind. However, in the known game, there exists no fully satisfactory form of clothing or grip associated with a player to be lifted which is configured for a front supporting player to hold. Thus a problem arises for the front supporting player in that the supporting player must typically directly seize the jumping player's bare thighs. A jumping player's legs may be covered in sweat thereby making it even more difficult for a given supporting player to effectively raise a jumping player as required. Bare skin baring sweat and bare skin baring sweat and rainwater are in turn progressively more difficult situations for a supporting player to deal with. In each case, as regards the jumping player's legs in contact with supporting player's hands, there is a reduced amount of friction between the hands and the legs. As regards the game, slipping of hands about a jumping player's legs creates a hazard to the jumping player and furthermore frequently places the jumping player in a playing position that is less than desirable in order for a given ball to be caught. Furthermore potentially serious problems may arise if the front supporting player's hand slips upwards on a jumping player's leg. In such a case groin injury or discomfort may occur if: a) the front supporting player's hand slips up the thigh and in to the groin area and/or b) the front supporting player lifts the jumping player on the shorts from the front. Although such problems are typically associated with the front supporting player's hand slipping, to some extent such problems may arise in connection with the rear supporting player's hands. In general the most severe problems, hazards, injuries and discomfort to the jumping player and the risk of being unbalanced in the air are generally attributable to support from the “front” supporting player. In particular, such problems arise when the front supporting player's hand slips or if a front supporting player grasps the jumping player's shorts from the front when lifting. Of course grasping the jumping player's shorts from the front can equally cause groin injuries and the like. A more common problem concerns the jumping player being held in an unbalanced manner at a great height in the air. The lack of balance is caused by slipping hands of the support players and may result in a player falling from a great height. Such falling can cause a variety of injuries including head, neck, back and shoulder injuries.
Various methods have been employed to try to alleviate the above problem of lifting a given player in the sport of Rugby Union. A first such method involves a jumping player using one-sided sticky tape bound around the thighs. Such usage of one-sided adhesive tape is an attempt to improve grip, but it has been found that such tape does not actually increase the coefficient of friction to any significant extent. Thus one-sided adhesive tape of the type that is used by some players in the Rugby Union game is known to be relatively ineffective as a form of grip. Furthermore use of one-sided adhesive tape is inconvenient and inefficient and time is wasted in putting the tape on the thighs and removing from the thighs after every use. A lot of one-sided adhesive tape may thus be used and is in fact wasted after the game since it has to be thrown away. This latter problem is made worse by the fact that typically two lengths of tape are required such that the ends of the first strip are sealed to the limb by the second strip being stuck over the end portions of the first applied strip. This makes usage of such tape costly and less than optimal as regards environmental considerations. A further problem with usage of one-sided tape is that it is relatively unappealing to the human eye. Additionally removal of the tape can cause distress to a player since the process of removal is associated with hair removal and repeated application is known to increase the degree of distress and thereby reduce the player's concentration during a game. Tape pinches body hairs of the limbs and is extremely uncomfortable to remove. It is also to be realized that the tape when bound around the leg of a player is restrictive in the sense that it does not readily alter its shape in response to movements of the leg and the muscles within and thereby it can reduce the quality of the performance of the player.
Another known method of improving grip in the game of Rugby Union is to use a sports garment of the type disclosed in GB patent application no. 2347067, in the name of Halbro Sportswear Limited. This reference describes a pair of shorts having integrally formed grips thereon. A problem associated with such shorts is that, since the grips are attached to the shorts, then the leg portions of the shorts are inclined to be raised up (when gripped in a lineout situation) into the crotch area of a given player and thereby may potentially give the player a groin injury or some form of discomfort either during the game being played or more long term. A further reference describing use of grippable members in the game of Rugby Union is French patent publication no. FR 2754679, which describes a similar modified from of shorts to those described in GB 2347067.
Shorts of the kind disclosed in GB 2347067 and FR 2754679 are associated with further problems. Firstly the grippable portions are located on the shorts and are thereby relatively high upon the leg. This limits the height that the supporting players are able to raise the jumping player to. A second problem is that the shorts can easily tear, which again can result in injury and/or serious unbalancing of the jumping player. If the jumping player's shorts are torn then a further disadvantage with shorts of this kind is that the jumping player must then go and purchase another pair of shorts. In other words another pair of shorts comprising grippable members is not a particular durable product. Additionally since the grip structures may be undesirable to the player wearing them during parts of the play where they are not used to aid lifting, then there is a need to provide a grippable sports device that may be readily removed and replaced during play whilst the player is on the playing field.
In view of the above there is a need to provide an improved grippable sports device, and in particular there is a need to provide an improved means for enabling a jumping player to be more effectively and safely raised in a lineout in the game of Rugby Union.